Steam boiler



0d. 22, 1929. H. GLIEICHMANN ET AL 1,732,439

STEAM BOILER Filed March 20, 1924 Patented 0a. 22, 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT orrlcs HANS GLEICHMANN, OE SIEMENSSTANT, NEAR BERLIN, AND WALDEMAR STENDER, OF IBERLIN-CHARLO'ITENBURG, GERMANY, ASSIGNORS, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS,

TO RUTHSACGUMULATOR AKTIEBOLAG,

' srnhm 0F STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN BOILER Applicationfiled March 20, 1924, Serial No. 700,673, and in Germany April 27, 1923.

' accumulators it has been proposed to feed the boilers with cold water during periods of low steam consumption and to withdraw hot water from the boilers with the accumulator, while the boilers are fed with hot water.

This method has the disadvantage, that during periods when little steam is required only a very small quantity of steam passes through the superheater and none at all when the steam is cut off. The s'uperheater is consequently liable to be destroyed.

Furthermore the feed water heater can only fulfill its object properly if it iscontinuously traversed by water. If the boiler is fed with cold water, so that the water in the heater remains stationary, steam is generated inthe heater, which should be avoided.

In order to overcome these disadvantages the heating of the boilers should be kept constant by the storage of hot feed water, but

no water should, be withdrawn from the boiler and the cold feed water should be heatedin a storage vessel by the excess of steam, which is produced when the boiler is heated constantly or continuously. The water to be heated may be quite cold or already slightly preheated in a feed heater.

In the system according to this invention the steam supplied to the cold feed water can be passed through the superheater, so that always approximately equal quantities of steam pass through the superheater. When the consumption of the steam is large, all the steam from the superheater flows to the consumers, when the consumption of steam ceases, then all the steam passing through the superheater isvused for feed water purposes.

Inasmuch as accordingto this invention the boiler heating or firing is kept constant for a comparatively long period, cold water is continuously forced through the feed heater without temporary fluctuations. This is rendered the more easily possible, if the plant is furnished with one or a plurality of feed Water storage vessels of varying capacity, which are supplied with feed water from the feed heateix. The arrangement may be sueh,-that the water is withdrawn from the storage vessel vfor cold feed water, is

p then heated by the excess steam and returned to a storage vessel for hot feed water.

The two feed water storage vessels may be combined into a single storage vessel for cold and warm water in such a manner for instance, that the separation of the two storage chambers merely consists in the superposition of layers of water'of difierent tem peratures.

In the drawing afiixed to this specification and forming part thereof suitable apparatus for carrying out my improved method is shown by way of example.

Referring to this drawing 1 is a steam boiler which is assumed'to be constantly or continuously heated or fired for comparative.- ly long periods and which thus would gen erate equal quantities of steam in the unit of.

time, for comparatively long periods. The steam generated is conducted to the consuming apparatus through the superheater 2 and the pipe line 3. Behind the superheater 2 a pipe 4 branches off, in which a valve 5 is inserted, which may be made responsive to varying steam pressure in boiler 1 or in pipe line 3 by any suitable means known in the art. This pressure responsive device is indicated here merely in conventional manner by a cylinder 26 connected to pipe line 3, and containing api'ston 27 balanced against the steam pressure by a spring 28. The piston is connected to valve control rod 29 so that the valve is opened and closed according to the piston movement. Valve 5 thus opens when the steam pressure risesin the boiler 1 or the pipe 3 owing to insuflicient steam consump tion, so that the excess steam escapes through injector 6 into. condenser 7 where it is condensed by the water drawn by the steam flowing into condenser 7. This water then passes I in the direction of the arrow into the upper portion of storage tank 9. This motion is further assisted by the fact, that the water is heated by the steam and thus ascends in the tube 7 The inner vessel 9 for cold and hot water of the storage receptacle 8 is charged at the bottom with fresh water by the feed water pump 10 by way of pipe 12. This fresh water may be either cold or slightly heated by me ans of heater 11 which may be operated for instance by the flue waste gases ofthe boiler in well known manner (not shown). The water in vessel 9, after being set in motion by the injector action at 6 may circulate through vessel 9, the pipes 13, 14, valve 17 and condenser 7, so that it returns into the receptacle 9 at in heated condition.- Vessel 9 therefore contains hot water at the top and cold waterof a controller 22 responsive to the varying pressure in the feed water reservoir. This controller may be of any suitable construction, and like controller 26, is illustrated here only in conventional manner. As will be observe-d from the drawing,'the steam pressure in the storage vessel acts upon control piston 30 disposed in cylinder 22 and balanced by aspring 31 or other suitable means. At increasing pressure piston 30 depresses a lever 23 by means of connecting rod 33. The control arm of valve 17 is connected to lever 23 by means of rod 24. At increasing pressure in the storage vessel lever 23 is depressed and thus valve 17 is opened further so that more cold water,

can enter condenser 7. However, the pivotal connection between connecting rod 33 and lever 23 is not stationary but this pivotal joint is slidingly connected to lever 23 as shown at 32 which represents a slide-way in which the pivotal joint is disposed. The position of the pivotal joint in slide32 is determined by means of a guide 34 controlled by the thermostat 16 referred to hereinbefore, such, that according to whether this thermostat expands or contracts, the pivotal joint between connecting rod and lever 23 is moved near to or removed fromthe pivotal joint of lever 23. Thereby, it will be noted the throw of valve 17 is controlled to a certainextent. For instance atincreasing temperature in condenser 7 the pivotal joint is moved nearer the pivotal joint of lever 23 and thus the mechanical advantage is decreased, thus resulting in a wider opening in valve 17 to admit more cold water to condenser 7 corresponding with the increase in temperature. The apparatus according to my invention is so adjusted, that within condenser 7 and the storage vessel for cold and hot water 8, 9 a

lower pressure is maintained than the pressure which the steam possesses which enters into the storage vessel through thenozzle 6, so

that this steam is able to enter condenser 7 with sufficient velocity to produce the effect described. I

The arrangement of the special receptacle 9 in the storage vessel 8 serves to prevent the outer vessel 8 from coming into contact with waterof different temperatures and stresses from being produced by these temperature differences in the walls of the outer vessel 8.

A volume of water corresponding with the volume of water supplied by the pipe 12 overfiows at the upper edge of the inner vessel 9 into the chamber 18 between the vessels 8 and .9 and is returned from there to the boiler 1 through the discharge pipe 19, pump 20 and the boiler supply pipe 21.

Any differences between the amounts of water supplied into and withdrawn from the receptacle 8 are taken up by a temporary rising and falling of the level of'the water in the space 18.

In the apparatus according to this invention a. larger consumption of steam by the steam consumers thus manifests itself by a rising-of the separating layer between the hot and the colder water in the vessel 9, while a smaller consumption of steamcauses a falling of the separating layer, inasmuch as the quantity of the hot water contained in the vessel 9 diminishes during the rising of the steam consumption and increases during the falling of the steam consumption.

lVhat we claim as our invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a steam generating plant the combination with a boiler, a steam su erheatcr connected thereto and a source 0 slightly preheated'feed water, of a heat exchanging device for heating the feed water to the desired temperature by means of excess steam from the super-heater, a storage vessel connected respectively with said source and said heat exchanger to receive the slightly heated water as a lower stratum and the water heated to the desired temperature as a superposed stratum, said exchanger being connected at its inlet with said lower stratum an excess of steam control valve disposed beyond the superheater and adaptedto permit the fiow of excess steam into the said heat exchanging device, a water flow control device responsive to the pressure and temperature of the fully' heated water sup lied to said storage vessel, for controlling t e water circulation between the storage vessel and said heat ex changer and means for conveying the feed water, heated to the desired temperature to said boiler.

'2. In a steam generating plant the combination with a boiler, a steam superheater connected thereto and a source of slightly preheated feed water, of a mixing condenser adapted to condense excess steam from the superheater by means of slightly preheated feed water, for heating said fe ed water to the desired temperature, a storage vessel connectdesired temperature as a superposed stra' tum, said condenser being connected at its inlet with saidlower stratum, an excess steam control valve disposed beyond the superheater and adapted to permit the flow of excess steam into said condenser, a water flow control device responsive to the pressure and temperature of thefully heated water, supplied, to said storage vessel, for controlling the Water circulation between the storage vessel and said condenser and means for con veying the feed water, heated to the desired tempera-litre to said boiler.

3. In a steam generating plant the combination with a boiler, a steam superheater connected thereto, a water preheater and a condenser, of a pipe connection having a control valve for delivering excess superheated steam to said'condenser, a storage vessel connected to said preheater and to said condenser. to receive water from the preheater, a pipe connection having a control valve for feeding Water from the storage vessel to said condenser to enable the latter to condense superheated steam by means of the water supplied, a controlling device connected with the boilersteam supply at the discharge side of the superheater for supplying excess steam to the condenser in accordance with the pressure condition'of the superheated steam, a second storage receptacle connected to the condenser and to the boiler, a regulator ada ted to control the feed water control valve etween the first storage vessel and the condenser according to the pressure conditions and hot water temperature of the second storage vessel and a feed pump with suitable pipe connections for supplying hot feed water from the second storage vessel to the boiler.

4. In a steam generating plant the combination with a boiler, asteam superheater connected thereto, a water preheater and a' condenser, of a pipe connection having a control valve for feeding excess superheated steam to said condenser, a storage vesselhaving aninner vessel of an appreciably smaller diameter open at the top and connected to said preheater and to said condenser to receive and hold water of different temperatures' in different layers, the annular space between the inner and outer vessel containing hot water overflowing from the inner vessel, a pipe connection having a control valve for feeding cooler water from said inner vessel to said condenser, to enable the latter to condense the superheated steam by means of the tures.

denser, a controlling device operated by the pressure existing in said storage vessel and adapted to control said cool water valve and a t ermostat in the condenser adapted to influence the controlling operation of said first controlling device for supplying cool water to the condenser in accordance wlth the pressure conditions and hot water temperature in the storage vessel, and a feed pump with suitable pipe connections for supplying hot feed water from said annular storage space into the boiler.

In testimony whereof we afiix our signa- HANS GLEIGHMANN. v WALDEMAR STENDER.

cooler water supplied, means for controlling the valve in the pipe connection between the superheater and the condenser in accordance 1 with the pressure conditions of the superheated steam, an injector at said condenser connectedto said cool water pi e and operated by the excess superheate steam supplied andadapted to convey water from the cooler layer of said inner vessel to said con- 

